According to Reuters, the Motor Transport Authority (KBA) is "examining software to see whether it could measure the angle of a car's steering wheel."

"It goes without saying that we are in close contact with the KBA and other relevant regulatory agencies, and that we continue cooperating fully with them concerning all emissions-related topics. This also includes their latest questions about what has been referred to as steering recognition," a Porsche spokesman told PCMag.

"In some cases, steering inputs are indeed used to help determine an automatic transmission's shifting strategy. It can be important, especially in sporty driving, to safeguard against unwanted gear shifting at the same time the steering direction is changed," he continued. "This might cause weight transfers and undesired handling reactions. Steering input is not used, however, in any Porsche model in order to recognize an emissions test cycle."

The technology—installed in Audis with diesel and gas engines in the US and abroad—detects when a car's steering wheel is dormant, suggesting it is in lab-testing mode, and lowers its emissions output. If the wheel is turned in any direction more than 15 degrees, indicating normal driving mode, the gadget turns off and the car returns to elevated emissions output.

In September 2015, the California regulator began using enhanced detection and screening procedures on all modern vehicles—diesel or gasoline—to find undisclosed devices that impact emissions. Audi reportedly stopped using the software in May, and suspended several engineers.

Neither Volkswagen nor the KBA did not immediately responded to PCMag's request for comment.

Volkswagen in September 2015 admitted that 11 million of its diesel cars featured software that recognized when the car was undergoing official emissions testing.

The Department of Justice, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency, sued VW, Audi, and Porsche for violating EPA standards and the Clean Air Act. Volkswagen in January proposed a catalytic converter fix for up to 430,000 vehicles affected by the emissions scandal.

About the Author

Stephanie joined PCMag in May 2012, moving to New York City from Frederick, Md., where she worked for four years as a multimedia reporter at the second-largest daily newspaper in Maryland. She interned at Baltimore magazine and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (in the town of Indiana, in the state of Pennsylvania) with a degree in ... See Full Bio

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